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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Westwood Public Library offers a myriad of activities for young and old, providing entertainment and knowledge to not only the population of Westwood but beyond. However, this isn’t where the resources or offerings from the Westwood Library end. The Islington Branch of the Westwood Public Library offers an entirely different and unique slew of activities that are waiting to be taken advantage of. One of these is a children’s storytime, offered Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
While this storytime is technically for children aged two to five, Jenny Durant, the Library Assistant who leads this activity, says that it is pretty flexible. “We offer the story time in six or eight-week sessions. Usually, there are two fall sessions, two spring sessions and a summer session, as well,” she said.
“We always have a number of stories, a variety of songs, and a craft,” Durant explained. This particular week, Durant led the kids in an interactive reading of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” including magnets that helped tell the story in a more visual and dynamic way. Each child was then given a stuffed bear with which to sing an action song, including standing, sitting, hiding the bear, as well as making him look like he’s driving a car. The stories concluded with a reading of a book titled “Owl Babies.” It was from this story that the week’s craft emerged.
From the story alcove, the children and their parents flocked to the open tables where the kids were welcome to make their own baby owl. The owl itself was made out of cotton, and the background included a moon, some stars, and a branch for him to sit on. While the kids were incredibly enthusiastic about the craft, it was definitely a collaborative effort between child and parent to make sure the craft reached its final product.
After this, parents corralled their children out of the door, thanking Jenny along the way. One of the other librarians sang Jenny’s praises: “Jenny uses special voices and sings and everything! She’s amazing.”
Jenny continued, “It’s a drop-in time and so you don’t have to be signed up or anything. We encourage anyone with young children to come, and we have a lot of fun.”
